Liquid-level gage for automobile-radiators



C. A. BEARDIVIORE.

LIQUID LEVEL GAGE FOR AUTOMOBILE RADIATORS- APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28. 1920.

1,386,883 9 Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

mvemtoz EIETEH EA .Eear'dmure C. A. BEARDMORE. LIQUID LEVEL GAGE FOR AUTOMOBILE RADIATORS. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28. I920.-

1 ,5j8@,833 Patented Aug. 9, 1921;

f 2 SHEETS-SHEET Z. Z7

anvau for Clarence PLEEEI d'mnra asses-as.

entree; sraras aaranr Farce.

CLARENCE a. nnanmaonn, or annaroms, MARYLAND, assren'on or Iona-HALF 'IO G. GOTT, OF

ANN APOLIS, YLAND.

' LIQUID-LEVEL .eaon iron auroiaorriLE-nanrarons Specification of Iietters'P'atent.

Patented rin a, rear.

7 Application filed January 28, 1920. Serial No. 354,543.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE BEARD- MORE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Annapolis, in'the county of Anne 'Arundel and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Liquid-Level Gages for, Automobile-Radiators, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to gages and more particularly to such as used on radiators forming a part of the cooling system takes place whlle motoring, due-to the re-v of internal combustion engines.

*One of the principal objects of my invention is toprovide a gage which-may be carried by the radiator cap or mounted upon the radiator, and embodying an indicator which is readily visible from practically any angle, and ,particularly by occupants of the 20 automobile and when approaching it from the front, so that a leakage of or insufficient liquid in the" radiator may be readily discerned and trouble averted byrepleiiishing the supply. Inthis connection it is pointed out that leakage of the liquid frequently lease of packing about the pump shaft, as

when the gland works loose, and the loss of the cooling medium .is, not ordinarly noted until the engine has become heated to that extent where parts are damaged or it is dangerous to add cold water without permit- :ting the engine to cool. By the use of a gage constructed according to my invention the fall of the-liquid level may -be readily discerned while the automobile is in motion, in the event of leakageand steps taken to make adjustment or repairs and replenish thesupply at the most opportunetime, the indicator being at all times inthe line of vision of the occupants of the vehicle.

' Another object of my invention is to provide a gage embodying. a vertically movable indicator and glass incasement thereforl and a protector for the incasement, so shaped and constructed as to make the indicator visible throughout its sphere of movement and yet not render thelincasement likely to breakage due to vibration or casual forces comin there'upn. A- fiirther o ject of the invention is to provide a gage which may be adapted for use with various size and styles of radiators so that adjustment or assemblage may be accomplished to attain the best 'results'in G, a cap for the mouth B which connect ion it'is stated that the gage 5 includes a buoyant body which rises and falls with the liquid and actuates the indicator, this buoyant body being adjustable with respect tothe indicator so that, in assemblage into operative relation to a particular radiator, the buoyant body may be adjusted so as to be disposed above the usual liquid inlet of the radiator when the indicator is at its highest point, where the buoyant body will be least disturbed by the circulating liquid, but which drops into the current when the liquid supply is diminished and causes the indicator to become more active or reciprocate due to the dis-' turbance of.the buoyant body in the circulating liquid. This more efliciently discloses the diminished supply especially when motoring.

A still furtherobject of'the invention is to provide a gage which is simple in construction and hence nexpensive to manufacture and assemble, and which is neat in' sectional view on the line 3-3 radiator disclosing an assembling particu larlywell adapted to. attain good results.

. F ig. 5 is 'a sectional view on the. line 5 5 of F g. 2.

A designates the head of an automobile radiator provided with a filler .mouth' B and bottom. C spaced therebelow, a liquid inlet 1) opening into the rear of this head 100 as is usual, there being an over flow pipe E shown which is also usually provided in radiators with its ingress F at approximately the lower portion of the filler mouth;

mounted upon the cap G. f The gage. H comprises an indicator which may be black or of a distinct color from the'rel'nainder of the gage; a buoyant body 7 such as a cork treated so as to not 110 and H the gage become water-logged; a rod 8 vconnecting v the indicator and buoyant body, the'latter beingpreferably adjustable on the rod as bygits telescopic engagement therewith; a

curely retaining the incaseinentin 'ope r'a- 7' on the lower end ortion of rod Sand in transparent incasement'9 for the indicator; order to adapt the indicatort o the par-; 70

and a main body portion 10, supporting the arts and adapted fol-connection tothe cap' asbyanut 11. i The main body portion 10 may comprlse a base 12, a head 13, and oppositely disosed connections 14 between the base and liead 'thus providing a relatively large sight opening 15 through. which'the line of vision may bedirected. The base 12 in the 6X- ample shown is provided with a vertical bore16 opening to a recess 17 in'the base, this recess being ppen at the top. of thebase and for a purpose to be subsequently set forth, may be provided with oppositely disposed sight-ways 18, these ways being in .a plane at right angles to the plane of con thedrawing. The head 13 may be provided with a bore 19 axially alined with bore 16,

screw threaded as indicated at 0. The base a reduced liquid supply,

12 may also be provided with a screw threaded extension 21 adapted to project'through an opening 22 in the cap G, this extension '21 to receive the nut 11 J in screw threaded engagement, a'lock washer 23 being disposed between the nut F11 and cap in order to more securely-fasten the-gage tothe cap. a

The glass tube 9 or other transparent incasement extendsbetween the base :12 head 13 with its lower end'portion received by recess 17 andv its upper end ortion extending into thebore 19; A gas et .24 may be disposed inrecess 17 upon whi' h the incasement 9 rests, this gasket provided-with a bore 25 alined with bore 16, A gasket 26 may be disposed on the top of incasement' .9, andscrewthreaded bore 19 may receive a cap 27, which bears upon gasket 26, and retains the incasement against vibration. The gasket 26 and cap 27 maybe provided with a bore 28 to forma communicationbetweenthe interior of the incasement and the atmosphere.

- In practice it is preferred to secure the indicator 6 to the upper end portionof the rod 8, which slides in bore 16 and to ad- -'lower portion of the rod. Thus,

justably support the buoyant body ,7 at the in assemblage, the gasket 24 is first disposed in the lower portion of recess 17; theiincasement 9 1s then moved downwardly through the bore 19 so that its low end portion is 'd1s-,

posed in recess 17 and upon gasket 24; the

-rod 8', with the buoyant body removed therefrom is then slid downwardly throu h the incasement 9, through bore 16 until t e indicator 6 is disposed within the incasement; the gasket 26 is then disposed in place, and the cap 27 turned intoplace until the gaskets 24 and 26 are .slightly compressed seand It is to be observed ticular radiator on which it is -to\.be"u sed,'

the distance between the inlet of overflow cap D may be approximately measurd', and

with the indicator 6 engaging the gasket;

, pipe E with respect to the lower portion of 4 I 26, the buoyant body 7 may be adjusted on then bending laterally the end of the rod as 7 indicated at 29. Thus, in use,

assumesalevel with the intake of overflow E, the buoyant body 7 will be raised to that p extent where it will dispose the indicator nections 14, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of 6 at the extreme upper portion of the in/ casement 9, thus indicatinghigh water level. As the-buoyant body 7 descends, due'toa .theindicator 6 W111 when the radiato'r is filled to that extent where the water be moved accordingly and" when the motor is in operation, if the buoyant body 7-.is

disposed in the path of the circulating cool-v ing medium issuing from inlet 1) it will'be disturbed in such a manner as to actuate .the 1 indicator andvmore readily bring t'o'the at tention of observers, the approximate liquid level in the radiator.-

indicator 6 asslimes-the extreme lower posithat ;even though the p s tion shown in Fig. 40f the drawings, thus v indicating low liquid level or absence of liquid in the radiator head, this indicator will still be visible through the sight ways 18 .hereinbeforedescribed, yet the glass tubeor transparent incasement is amply protected at its lower end portion by t portions of the base 12. v I Changes 'n details may be made without departing rom' the spirit or scope of my invention; but, w 1 -'I claim: v-

' 1\ i 1. In combination 'with a radiator head having a liquid inlet opening into its wallfi 115 of a gage including an indicator, a buoyant "body in said radiator movable in the current of liquid delivered through said inlet to be e embracing 1 disturbed laterally and vertically thereby and movable above said inlet,- and a device oper atively' connecting said buoyant body and indicator to, actuate the latter by movement and disturbance of the former, said indicator arranged to indicate high liquid level in theradiator when'said buoyant body is above said, inlet. v J

having a liquid inlet openin into its wall,

of a gage including a vertical ymovable in- V1 2. In combination with a radiator head:

iso

said me a be disturbed laterally andveltically thereby and movable above said inlet and a vertically'slidable rod connecting said buoyant body and indicator to actuate the .latter by movement and disturbance ofthe former, said indicator arranged to indicate high liquid level in the radiator when said buoyant body is above said inlet opening.- j

3. In a gage for radiators, the combination of a main body portion comprising abase, a

Iheadaxially alined therewith and spaced connections between said base and head, said v base provided with a vertical bore and a recess open .at its top, and said head provided with a verticalbore co-axial with said recess; a glass tube disposed with its lower end portion in said recess and its upperend portion J in said bore of said head ;"=a'removable cap ini'said bore above said tube; an indicator movable'in saidtube {abuoyant body below said main body portion; and arod connect- 'ng said indicatoraxfd buoyant body and slidable in" saidfibore of said base.

4. In a gage for radiators, the combination of a main body portion comprisingwa base,--a

\head axially alined therewith and spaced arcuate connections between said base and head, said base provided with a vertical bore and a recess open at its top, and said head provided with a. vertical bore co-axial with said recess; a glass tube disposed'with its lowerend portion in said recess andits upper end portlon in said bore of said head ;a

. removable cap in said bore abovesaid tgbe;

anindicator movable-in said tube; a buo ant body below said mainbody portion and a rod connecting said indicator and buoyant body and slidable in said bore of said base.

' '5. In a gage for radiatorsathe combination of amain body portion comprising abase, a

head axially alined therewith, and spaced connections between said base andhead, said base provided with a vertical bore and a recess open at its top, and saidheadprovided with a vertically screw threaded bore, a glass tube disposed with its lower end portion in said recess and its upper end portion in said bore of said head, a gasket between said tube and the base of said recess, a gasket mounted upon said tube, a cap in screw threaded engagement with the bore of said head and bearing upon said gasket, an indicator movable in said tube; a buoyant body below said main body portion; and a rod connecting said indicatorand buoyant body and slidable in said'boreof said base.

6. In a gage .for radiators, the combination of a'main body portion comprising'a base, a

head axially'alined therewith, and oppositely disposed arcuate connections between said v base and head, said base provided with a circular recessopen at its topand diametrlcally disposed vertical sight-ways open to said base and head in said tube, a buoyant body,

and a device pperatively connecting said buoyant body and indicator to impart movement of the former to the latter.

- CLARENCE A. BEARDMORE. 

